Sunniebgi

Hi all.. yes.. I really should know the answer to this question, but honestly don't.. and am trying to help a friend.

Anyone know the difference in these 2 items.. Citizenship allows you to vote etc.. Have a friend marrying who is not Barbadian and he is trying to sort this out. he can ask the Immigration office but.. we all know how that works.

he is also concerned about the Reside and Work.. This applies to both of these applications??? I'm searching, but not finding. thanks.

Sunniebgi..

Serendipidy

Hi Sunnie weird that your wearing the other cap today lol..I had a german girlfriend who went for Residency over Citizenship because it was much quicker...If I remember rightly the main difference was that if she divorced ie no longer married to a bajan then residency could be affected whereas Citizenship cannot be taken away. Its worth finding out how long Residency applies for.

What is the concern re Reside &Work?

Sunniebgi

Thanks Dipidy..

The individual thinks that the residency will be automatic married to a bajan (which I've said it isn't).. and that she would like to work.. so.. I'm guessing either way.. she still needs the reside and work.

He also thinks she has to get the residency before applying for the citizenship and I said no.. she can apply for citizenship right away.. but it could take 3 to 5 years.

the other concern with residency is the timing.. and I remember a situation a few years ago where they stopped doing residency all together , i'm guessing to catch up on the citizenship and work permit requests..


is there anyone going through this at the moment on this group?? Residency or citizenship?? their thoughts??

satellite_ian

I am in the citizenship process as we speak.......

I am a UK citizen, married a Bajan woman back in the mists of August 2011. One of the first things we did after we married was go to immigration and find out what the situations was..of course you only get the opinion of the person you speak to...but you have to go with something...

I was told that I could apply for either residency or citizenship. The benefits of citizenship being that I can once I have it.. it wouldn't be revoked and eventually I would be eligible for a pension whereas residency would be conditional on whatever conditions were imposed being maintained...not that these were explained...

Certainly for citizenship there are a whole raft of bits of paper required from both me and my wife. She even had to get a new birth certificate because hers didn't have an embossed stamp on it, mainly because when she was born birth certificates were not done like that..

I was told the citizenship process would take several years.... no explanation as to why..

About 6 months after my application went in I was given three years reside and work... which was great, I could come and go as required and obviously I could work locally if I wanted to.

Once that three years was up I went back to Immigration and said "what do I do now?" As it turns out what happens then is you have to go back every six months and only get status as a visitor! So I asked, "what happens if I have a job?" "you will need to apply for a work permit" Now, it doesn't matter to me.. I don't work here.. but there are many jobs I might have got just by being here for three years which there is no way in hell I would get a work permit for.. somewhat odd..

About 4 months ago my wife and I were called to Immigration for an interview. This would have been a very short interview had the immigration officer interviewing us spent less time telling us how she wasn't responsible for what happened next and got on with things!

For this interview I had to supply a few more bits of paperwork.. including a Police certificate of character (took longer to get than the notice we were given for the interview) and something similar for the UK.. of course the UK doesn't do these things but they do do something similar which is what the Government here actually wants (https://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx).

At this interview you have to be careful what you say.. I mentioned that for several months I was in foreign countries for work "well those addresses aren't on your form" then having to explain that I was still resident in the UK then and that was a work deployment somewhat threw the woman interviewing me...

At this stage I have my passport back in Immigration awaiting another 6 month stamp.. this will be my third since my reside and work elapsed... how much longer this process will go on.... who knows... I am sure if I go to Immigration and ask it will only cause issues so it's much simpler to go with the flow...

Not sure if any of this is much use but it is in some regard the process I am going through.. If I can give any more information then of course I will.. just ask...

Sunniebgi

That's awesome info Ian. The biggest concern is the work.. whats the use of a 3 year reside and work, if you don't have the citizenship when it expires, you have to leave the job because you don't have the citizenship.

I will tell you that I was actually told, by a customs/immigration officer that my citizenship could be taken away.. I questioned why my Barbados ID (government issued) that has my citizenship number on it, along with my US passport, wasn't good enough for the immigration officer upon arrival in Barbados.. and had to pull out my Citizenship document (which is falling apart) to show that I legally live here. This has happened twice now. and on my way out of the arrivals hall I asked someone.. who says.. basically, my Barbados ID (government issued) doesn't mean anything.. and my citizenship (by marriage) could be revoked.. but I digress..

I've suggested to my friend to find someone who can give him as much information as possible. and take there name..

satellite_ian

Well... six months after my last post on this topic... my wife tells me I have a letter from immigration waiting for me (I am away on business), open it I tell her....

Whoo hoo... I have been granted Barbadian citizenship! I have to go to immigration and pay $1500 within 28 days of the notice... of course being Barbados the notice has taken nearly two weeks to wend it's weary way to St George... and I only get back to Bim a day before the period is up.. but hey ho we can manage to make that deadline...

Sunniebgi

Well Done Ian!!!.. Welcome to the club.. you should try to come back in a few days earlier.. you know.. just in case there are any flight delays..

Serendipidy

Congrats Ian ..Patience and understanding how Barbados works is the key to feeling peace in the beautiful island

satellite_ian

Just thought would post an update to my last post...

Next Weds (the 23rd) I am due to the Citizenship Ceremony at Lloyd Erskine..... think from there on I can apply for passport, new ID and so on....

Serendipidy

Wow ...enjoy let us know what takes place there..I know in UK they swear allegiance to the queen etc...I wonder who is classed as the allegiance for Barbados

Sunniebgi

that's great Ian. Something I never did..

satellite_ian

Well the Citizenship Induction Ceremony took place yesterday..

110 of us (plus 1 guest each) filed into Lloyd Erskine and sat for some time.. while not a lot happened.... then we were given an instruction on how to stand when the National
Anthem was played.. interestingly enough it took two immigration officers to do this.. (there were so many immigration staff there that there was no need for a go slow at the airport yesterday!)

The ceremony got underway promptly at 10am (much to my surprise!). As usual here we got a welcoming prayer.. then me moved onto an address from Sen. Darcy Boyce, to be honest this had very little to do with those of us becoming citizens but was simply an opportunity for him to waffle on about the lot of the Immigration Officers.

There followed a short speech from the Chief Immigration Officer and then each of the new citizens were presented with their registration documents - in a quality brown envelope.

A short bit of entertainment and we were out of there....

So thats it.. .I'm now a Bajan.. while still holding my UK nationality too.....

Serendipidy

Yo baje!!!

Sunniebgi

So can I pick you out of the photo that is circulating??. and I realized they only starting these events not to long ago, which is why I never went to one.. and something you learned.. and likely already knew.. no speeches made at any event actually concern the event.. they are always and only a forum for their soapbox.. regardless of what it is..

satellite_ian

I can just about see myself in the picture in the Nation......

You are, of course, completely correct about the speeches..... but the fact that he barely acknowledged the reason he was there was fairly astounding....lol....